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Spectator 2026-05-28

Spectator 2026-06-04

The big AI labs are eating the startup playbook — here’s where founders can still compete

Startup founders used to worry that tech giants would make their product obsolete. Now it’s even trickier: AI labs are not only encroaching on startup turf, they’re also offering tools for customers to attempt DIY solutions of their own. But there are approaches that work, and niches to be found, according to speakers and panelists at the Tech Alliance Seattle Investor Summit+Showcase this week. Read More

Tech Moves: Salesforce names president; Microsoft execs coming and going; Amazon departures

A pair of Microsoft security executives are on the move — one headed to Salesforce, one returning to fill the vacancy. Meanwhile, two Amazon veterans are calling it quits at the company. Read More

Zuckerberg’s superyacht moves north out of Seattle, dwarfing ferries along the way

Launchpad was spotted this week making the move from Elliott Bay in Seattle. According to MarineTraffic, the vessel anchored in Port Gardner Bay near Naval Station Everett around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Read More

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman to leave Microsoft board after nearly a decade

Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock investor, will not stand for re-election to Microsoft's board, ending a tenure that began in 2017. He told Satya Nadella he's returning to "founder mode" to focus on his cancer drug-discovery startup, Manas AI. Read More

Etzioni on AI: Ten Commandments for AI Startups

AI researcher, entrepreneur, and investor Oren Etzioni lays out 10 commandments for AI startups — covering business models, distribution, inference costs, and avoiding dependence on any single frontier model — preceded by 10 classics that apply to startups in general. Read More

Innovega’s smart glasses aim to improve sight for people with visual impairments

Innovega, a company known for its augmented-reality contact lens technology, has turned its focus to a different product for now: smart glasses for people who are visually impaired. Read More

Seattle Rezones Rainier Beach Site, But Affordable Housing Remains Years Away

Rainier Beach gained new zoning capacity for affordable housing, yet no housing project is currently on the horizon. Here's what's planned for the site now.

Docusign moving downtown Seattle offices, leaving its namesake tower

Electronic signature powerhouse Docusign is reportedly moving its offices in downtown Seattle a few blocks north, leaving the tower that bears its name.  Read More

Find it, fix it: Seattle startup Emphere raises $2.1M to automate software vulnerability patching

Emphere, a Seattle startup that emerged from the AI2 Incubator, raised $2.1 million in pre-seed funding to automatically fix vulnerabilities found in popular open-source distributions, catering to software companies that sell to regulated industries. Read More

World Cup scoreboard in the sky: Drones will fly over Seattle to put match results in lights

The activation, from Visit Seattle, will take place at the Space Needle to add another visual flair to an event expected to draw huge crowds to the city. Read More